Automobile-signal.



H. C. DOL/WA AUTMOBH SIGNAL. APPUcATioN man xunszs, 1916,

v JM

H. Cl DOLAN.

AUTOMBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION F1L[0JuNE26,19|6.

Patened A119". 7, 1917' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mmm/cof@ yall@ C.) Olor,

All

- arrows indicating lil@.

:HALLEY C. DOLAN, OFVDETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ang. 7, 1917.

\ Application led June 26, 1916. Serial N0. 105,810.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HALLE-r C. DoLAN, a citizen of the United States' of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan7 have invented cerftain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automobile signals, and more particularly to that type electrically controlled, to display one or more signs, and indicate direction of travel or other traliic conditions. y

One of the objects of my. invention is to provide a signal of the above type embody ing a rotary sign display member held to normally display a sa tety lirst or clear signal, said rotary sign display member being actuated by electrical devices selectively placed in operation to rotate the sign display -member whereby a. desired sign will be displayed. Such signs may be right and leftf the Word Stop or any indicia that Will indicate to the chauffeur or driver of an automobile that the signal carrying automobile illuminating is about to stop or turn into a different lane of travel.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electrically operated trallic signal embodying a plurality oi' electrical devices compactly assembled in. 4a casing adapted to withstand the 'forces of nature and protect the mechanism therein from dust, dirt und other foreign matter. The casing contains means for signs displayed thereby at night, and the same illuminating means constitutes a tail light for an automobile or similar vehicle.

Other features of my l invention will hereinafter appearas the structural details oi the signal are considered, and reference Vvill now be had to the drawings. wherein-e Fig-ure 1 is a perspective View oi an auto mobile traffic signal in accordance with niy invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the same; i Fig. 8 is a front display; 'member g Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View of the electrical devices of the signal and the illumi nating means thereof associated" With controlling devices and a suitable lsource of electrical energy;

elevation of a rotary sign Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a portion of the signal, illustrating the electrical devices thereof, and Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the saine taken on or about the line VI*V`.[ of Fig. 5.

The signal casing is cylindrical or drum shaped and comprlses a rear 'Wall l provided With a socket member 2 whereby the casing may be attached to asuitable automobile bracket (not shown).

Connected to the marginal edges of the rear Wall l is an annular shell 3 closed by'a circular front plate 4 in parallelism with the rear wall l and suitably connected to said shell.` The front plate 4 has a concentric opening 5 'and a holder 6 for a bulls eye or lens l. The front plate 4 has a segment shaped openingvabove the opening 5, and this segment shaped opening is closed by a transparent plate 8 held in position by a holder 9 of the front plate Ll.

Connected to therear wall 1 of the casing by bolts 10 and nuts 1l or other fastening means is a triangular shaped housing, comprising triangular shaped plates 12 and 13 isposed in parallelism and held spaced apart by the ends of the bolts 10. 10 have loose holders 14 which serve as pivots for armatures 15 in proximity to the pole pieces 16 of electro-magnets 17. The electroanagnets 17M are supported by brackets 18 each having one end thereof pivoted on the bolts 10. The opposite ends oi the bracket-s 18 are adjustab'ly held by bolts 18, carried by )Jokes 18h connected to the plates 12 and 13. A holder 14 maintains the armature 15 in proper position. The electro-magnets, when energized, are adapted to attract thearmatures l5 vand said armatures have the outer with pins 19 extend-` ends thereof provided ing -into links 20 pivotally connected to cranks 21 of sector gears 22. Tivo of these links are slotted, as shown in Fig. The sector gears are pivotally mounted upon pins 23 connecting the plates said gearsmesh with a upon an arbor or shaft 24 `iournaled in the plates 12 and 13. The shaft 24 protrudes through an openingQG in a partition or reflector plate 27 connected to the plate 13, as at 28.

Mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 24 is a spider 29 of an annular sign display pinion 25 inoui'itcd member 30,l said member being somewhat'in .the form oie diskfihaving a central opening spring 18x of each 12 and 13 and he bolts i angle 31 at the inner side of a bull`sl eve or lens T The member 2l() is provided with openings or apertures 32 in the form of characters, symbols or signs and these openings are covered by a sheet of translucent material 33 secured to the member 30, as bst shown in Fig. G.

The sign as shown in Fig. 3 consists of the words Safety first". disposed to be normallv vdisplayed through the transparent plate S and this is accomplished by the springs lSXalways restoring' the armatures and sector gears to normal position.

In addition to the. sien "Safety first" there is the word "Stop" and arrows adapted to be indivadually displayed to indicate direction ot travel either to the right or to the left.

On the shaft A is a crank 25 having side extensions Qti and 2T, also an extension 22. On the armatures l5 are `stops 1G". 1G", 16, lhe stop 16 is normally en g'aeed by the extension QT so that the words Safety first" are held at the opening' in the front plate si.. The extension 5N is adapted to pass by the, stop 1G, when tl i armature. thereof is attracted or engage the. stop and cause Stop to be displayed. The extension 22 may also engage stop lh" and extension '26 may enzrage stop 1G". thus displaying arrows.

Connected to the partition 2T of the retlector plate is a lamp sot-liet Bti -for an incandescent lamp 3l' between the partition 2T and the member 30. 'l his lamp is preferably located in the side of the signal casina` and rays of liglit therefrom are reflect ed to the bulls eye or lens 7, which for purposes off a tail light is preferably red in color. Rays of light from the incantilescent lamp 3T are also cast through a transparent plate 38 at. one side of the shell 3. whereby a license card or sign ma)Y be illuminated at night.

The'eleetrosmagnets 1T constitute clectrieal devicesadapted to actuate the sector gears 92 to rotate or rock the. arbor or shaft 25. and said eleetrieal devices are grounded as at 39, and eoiinected by wires -ltl to a switch 4l. This switch ma;T be of the piv oted lever 'type or in thel form of a push button bv which a plurality otcontacts may be made to establish desired circuits. switch ll is connected to a suitable source of electrical cnersry` as a battery -l-Z and the iiicandescent lamp 37 is in circuit with the same source, ot' electrical energy with a switch 43 interposed to control the illumination of the lamp. A

The eleetro-mechanieal mechanism located within the signal casing permits ot the arm or shaft. 25 being; rotated a quarter of a revolution. a halt' ot a revf'olution or three quarters oi' a revolution. according to which electro-magnet is energized by operating the T he switch il. It is through the medium of the slotted links Q0 associated with two of the sector gears 22 thatan electro-magnet ma)Vlr be selected to more the member 80 a desired distance, without materially effecting those.-

armatures not brought into action, and immediately upon an electro-magnet being deenergized, the springs 18X restore the member 3() to normal position,

I attach considerable importance to the triangular housingq for the sector gears 22 and their aiipurtenant parts, as this mechanism is compactly assembled to operate a single arbor or shaft common to all of the mechanism. The disposal of the mechanism also permits ol" a small cylindrical casina' inclosing the same and such casing can be readily supported atthc rear end of an automobile and finished to harmonize with other metallic fittings of the machine.

lVhat I claim is:- A

1. In an automobile t 'allie signal, a casing haring a bull`s eye and displaiY opening, a rotaryv disk-like member adapted tio display signs at the opening: ot' said casing, a shaft for movingsaid member, sector gears about said shat't. adapted to partiallli'v rotate the same, and electrical devices for moving said sector gears.

An automobile traflic signal comprising a casing. having a displayY opening. a. housing: in said easing. a shaft, journaled in said housing. a simi display7 member carried by said shaft and adapted to displayY signs at the openingoff said casing". electro-magnets supported by saidhousing` and disposed about said sha't't. means including armatur- S actuated by said electro-mammie adapted rotat'esaid shaft predetermined distances, a crank on said shaft. and a stop on an armature ot' said electro-magnets adapted to be` engaged by said crank to hold said shaft normally stationary with a sign of said member displajved at the 'opening of saidiYA easing.

3. .it signal comprising a casingr provided with a displav'opening. a rotary signdisplay member in said casing adapted to disilav siO'ns in the o )eninY thereof, a shaft Jfor Hfnffmar c. Dorian.

Tit-nessus t KARL H. BU'rLnaf,

ANNA M. Donn. 

